Oven for tempering wire



(No Model.) 7

E. CLIFTON.

OVEN FOR TEMPERING WIRE,- m.

Patented Jan. 18, 1887.

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ED\VARD CLIFTON, OF LOWVELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

oven FOR TEMPERiNG wise, aw.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,350, datedJanuarylS, 1887.

Application filed May 11, 1885. Serial No. 165,120. No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDW'ARD CLIFTON, of Lowell, in the county ofMiddlcsex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain newand-useful Improvements in Ovens for Tempering \Vire, &c., of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

These improvements in ovens are more particularly designed for heatingsteel wire in the process of hardening and tempering the same, and itwill be hereinafter described with particular reference thereto; but, aswill ap pear from said description, it is applicable to the heating ofother metals and articles, and therefore, while it will be particularlydescribed in relation to heating of steel wire, it is distinctly to beunderstood that it is not intended in any way to limit it thereto.

This invention, in substance, consists in an oven for heating steelwire, &c., in the process of tempering the same, which is suitablyadapted to be heated, preferably, by the combustion of hydrogen gas andair, and which has an opening at each end for the passage of wire, 850.,into, through, and out of the oven; of a horizontal shelf and shelveslocated therein; of the construction and arrangement of said shelf andshelves relative to each other and to the side walls of and thecombustion and heating-chamber of the oven; of openings for the passageof air into the combustion chamber of the oven; of. the construction ofthe top of the oven for being opened and closed and to facilitate theinsertion in and removal of wires, &c., from the oven without requiringthe top to be opened, and 0f the combination of gas-pressure regulatorswith the gas-supply pipe, all substantially as and severally for thepurposes hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, thepresent improvements in tempering-ovens are illustrated.

Figure l is a side elevation of the oven, shown as broken away at oneend, and at such end in longitudinal vertical section Fig. 2 isatransverse vertical section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view,at one end broken away, and in horizontal section on line 3 3, Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a horizontal and longitudinal section on line 4 at, Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section, same as Fig. 2,

.1 illustrating a modification, to be hereinafter described. Fig. 6 isen enlarged view in detail, hereinafter referred to.

In the drawings, A represents an oven of a rectangular box shape, andhaving a combustion-chamber, B.

The oven A and its coinbustion-chamber 13, except as to the features ofthis invention, as hereinafter stated, are made as usual. The oven ishorizontal, and at each corner it is supported by a leg, 0.

D D are series of separate pans, located in the same horizontal plane atthe bottom of the oven, and all opening at their upper side to a commonspace, E, closed on all of its sides, and at its top covered with aplate, F, having a series of perforations, G, making communicationbetween ihe inclosure of the pans D and the COIllbLlSLlOlJClliLlllbEI B.

H is a horizontal pipe, connected by a-vertical pipe, J, to a gas supplypipe, K.

its length with a series of vertical nipples, L,

screwed into the bottom of the pans D, one to each pan, andmaking communication between the chambers of the pans and the gaspipe H.

N, Fig. 6, is an air-hole in one side of each vertical pipe M, and justabove the nipple L.- By the combination of gas-nipples L and airholes N,above described, gas and air are entered into the chamber 'of the pansand below the perforated top F, cornmon to all of said pans, and thereincom mingling they pass through the perforations G of said top into thecombustion-chamber B of the oven, to be therein consumed or burned.

O are a series of apertures through the bottom or floor P of thecombustion-chamber of the oven and at cachsidc of the pans D. Theseapertures O are for the admission of air tothe combustionchamber.

Q, Q are horizontal projections from each side wall, R, of the oven.These projections Q extend toward the center line of thecombustion-chamber B, and they are located above the air apertures orports 0 of the combustion-chamber, with an open space between them, andthey project a little beyond but above the perforated top F of the airand gas pans or chambers D.

S is a shelf, which extends horizontally The horizontal gas-pipe Hisprovided along each entered into aseparate vertical pipe, M,

through the upper part of the combustionchamber of the ovenand from endto end, and through and in line with and in continuation of an opening,T, in each end wall, UU, of the oven. This shelf S within the oven issurrounded on all sides by the combustion-chamber B thereof, and atintermediate points of its length it is Supported on fixed cross bars Vof the oven, and at and along each of its sides, and between theopposite side walls R of the oven an open space, X, Fig. 3, is left,thus making communication between the part of the combustion-chamberwhich is above and the part thereof which is below said shelf.

Y Y are two covers, closing the top of the oven A. Each cover Y ishingedat and along its side to a side wall of the oven, and the two are ofsuch a width that when closed a slit or opening, Z, will be left betweentheir opposite edges and lengthwise ,of the oven.

The shelf S, along its length and at intermediate points, is preferablyprovided with cross-bars A of su itable material, to act as supports tothe wires which in the use of the oven are to be runthrough it fromendto end, passing'over the top and within the width of the shelf. Thewires enter the oven at the opening T in its forward end wall, U, andpass out of the oven at the opening T in the other end or rear wall, Uand in so passing through they are heated from the heat within the ovengenerated from the combustion of hydrogen gas, and which is going onmore particularly in the combustion-chamber proper of the oven, andwhich is below said shelf S. The shelf S guards and protects the wiresfrom direct contactwith and impingement of theflames ofcombustion, whileat the same time the heated vapors and air are free to circulate aboutand around the upper portion of the oven, through which the wires aremoving, and also about and around the so-moving wires, and this heatingof the wires is to be such as to produce the desired temper in them.

The air inlets or ports 0, at and along the sides of the gas and aircommingling panchambers D, supply air to the combustion going on in thecombustion-chamber, and the side horizontal projections, Q, above saidairinlets, act to deflect the air entering at said inlets toward thelongitudinal central portion of the oven, and thus to concentrate theflames of combustion the more directly against the under surface of theshelf, from which, spreading out sidewise, they then pass, in the formmore of heated vapor than of flame at and along the sides of the shelfinto the upper portion of the oven.

B and C are two gas-regulators, of any of the ordinary or othersuitableconstruction, to regulate the pressure of gas, and as theconstruction thereof for such purpose forms no part of the presentinvention, it is not deemed necessary to herein particularly describe orillustrate it in the drawings. These gas-regulators'B G are bothconnected to the supplypipe K, common to the several nipples L, and

provided with a closing and opening valve or stop-cock, D", of anysuitable or ordinary construction. The gas-regulators are between saidvalve D and the vertical pipe J,which makes connect-ion with saidsupply-pipe K and the gas-nipples L, hereinbefore referred to. Thesegas-regulators are used for the purpose of insuring uniformity ofpressure in the gas delivcred at the gas-nipples L for' combustion inthe oven, whatever may be the pressure of the gas-supply, and howeverthe same may vary from time to time, and which pressure, as is wellknown, does vary greatly as the quantity of gas consumed by the varioususers drawing from the same supply varies, and from thecustom, in thesupply of gas, of having the pressure of the supply greater at night orat certain hours of the day than at others. The regulator G, the nearerto the oven, is adjusted closely to the pressure of gas desired, and theother regulator, B, to a, pressure above said desired pressure, and thusbetween the two the pressure of gas delivered to the combustion-chamberis maintained at all times at a practically uniform pressure.

The shelf S, as particularly shown in the drawings, has a wall, E, ateach side, both projecting above the top of the shelf, and each isreturned horizontally, as at F toward the center longitudinal line'ofthe shelf, leaving an open longitudinal slit, G, between the oppositeedges H of the soreturned portions F. Again, the support of the shelfmay be through a perforated plate, J Fig. 5, resting upon the crossbarsV, in lieu of directly through and upon said cross-bars, and by restingdirectly on said plated, as shown, or indirectly, with interposedsupportingblocks. (Not shown.) The side walls, E of the shelf Sobviously increase the protection of the wires against directimpingementor contact of the flames of combustion, and the returningportions F again add their mite in this relation, and together theysecure an improved evenness in the diffusion of the heated vapors aboutthe wires in the oven.

'As the top of the oven is closed by sectional covers Y Y, with alongitudinal slit, Z, between their opposite edges, the oven can be mostreadily opened, and when closed saidlongitudinal slit allows wires to beinserted in and removed from the oven without requiring either the ovento be opened or the wires to be drawn or run through the oven from endto end thereof.

Although this invention has been described particularly in relation tosteel wire, it is applicable as well to other articles, and so is not tobe limited in that regard.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim- 1. In an oven for heating wire, &c., to temper it, suitablyadapted in its lower portion for combustion and thereby to be heated,and having an opening, T, at'each end, a horizontal shelf, S, whichextends from end to end and partially across the width of the oven; and

LII

thereby divides the oven into upper and lower compartments, and whichhas alongthe whole length of each of its sides an upright wall orprojection, E the whole forming a trough in communication at eaclrendwith said end openings for the passage of the wire to be heated, and onits upper side only, in open communication with the openings X along andbetween the side walls of the shelf and of the oven, and also with theupper compartment, but otherwise closed to the lower compartment of theoven, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. In an oven for heating wire, &c., to temper it, suitably adapted initslowerportion for combustion and thereby to beheated, andhaving anopening, T, at each end, a horizontal shelf, S, which extends from endto end and partially across the width of the oven, and thereby dividesthe oven into upper and lower compartments, and which has along thewhole length of each of its sides an upright wall or projection, E eachhaving ahorizontal exten sion, F projecting toward each other,with anopening, G, between them, the wholeforming a trough, partially closed onits upper side, in communication at each end with said end openings, T,for the passage of the wire, 850., to be heated, and on its upper side,at its said opening G between its said horizontal extensions F", in opencommunication with the upper compartment of the oven, in turn in opencommunication with the lower compartment of the oven at and along theopenings between the side walls of the shelfand the side walls of theoven, but otherwise closed to said lower compartment, substantially asdescribed, for

end to end and partially across the width of the oven, and therebydivides the oven into upperand lower compartments, in communication witheach other only at the openings T along the sides of the shelf andbetween them and the side walls of the oven, of fenders Q, which projecthorizontally from the side walls and extend along the length of the ovenfrom end to end thereof below said shelf and have an open space betweenthem, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

4. An oven for heating wire, &c., to temper it, having two covers, Y, toclose it at its top, except at a longitudinal slit or opening, and eachhinged at and along the side walls of the oven, substantially asdescribed, for the purpose specified. I

5. In an oven for heating wire, &c., to temper it, having an opening, T,at each end, the combination, with chambers or pans D,which have aperforated top and are located in the lower portion of the oven, and areadapted for the entrance and commingling of hydrogen gas and air to passtherefrom through the perforations of their said top into the chambersabove to be there consumed, of two horizontal shelves, S J both locatedabove said perforated top of said pans D, the one, S, above the other, Jand both extending along the whole length, and the one, S, partially andthe other, J wholly across the width of the oven, with an opening alongeach side of the upper shelf, S, and between said sides and the sidewalls of the oven and perforations in the lower shelf, J", substantiallyas described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EDWARD CLIFTON.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BEL ows, ALBERT W. BROWN.

